LET'S COOK! Throttle time with the Mixmaster

By CHARLES REPNOW, Freelance Writer

First of all, I would like to say thanks to you readers! From the beginning, I knew that I would be assured of one faithful reader -- my wife, Jan. Well, actually, two because Lydia (our 3-year-old daughter) can now read "is," "the" and "Lydia." Thanks to your comments and calls, my kitchen is filling with interested readers. I do not claim to know everything about pies, but I am willing to continue sharing my knowledge -- so here goes!

Meringue is one of my all time favorite luxuries in life. It is also an inexpensive luxury as meringue contains mainly two ingredients: egg whites and sugar. I started making meringue in fourth grade, and I remember it well. Our home had two mixers: a small Hamilton Beach hand mixer; and a nice large, black and white-stand style Sunbeam Mixmaster with a 12-speed dial known, as model No. 12.

To me, running No. 12 was like flying a plane. It even looked like a jet. From the back, the air intake certainly was a dead ringer for an airplane turbine. I recall with fondness as I moved the "throttle" dial to No. 1 -- mixing dry ingredients. Before I knew it, I was at No. 6 - cake mixes. The kitchen truly sounded like an airport. Before long, I was full throttle at No. 12 - egg whites. This was take off! I knew it would not be long before clouds of white fluffy meringue filled the bowl.

This mixer was off limits and only to be used by my mother. She had allowed me under her wise supervision just this once to make meringue, and I certainly was in heaven! I could no longer be satisfied with our hand mixer knowing it could never produce the beautiful meringue my soul desired.

This did give me a reason for better searching at rummage sales that I often attended in Underwood. I rode my blue Roadmaster bike to every rummage sale in Underwood that summer and finally, in August, at Lucille Woods house, I cast my blue-green eyes upon what seemed like the finest plane a fourth-grader could own! It called to me from her card table: "Buy me -- I can make the meringue you are looking for!"

She certainly was a beauty ... a Sunbeam Mixmaster with a vertical hand and THREE rotary beaters that shimmered like a propeller on a fine aircraft. I quickly picked her up and paid for her. That $2 was the best investment I ever made. Thank goodness for the Grit paper route money. What a beauty she was at 175 watts of twirling power and in perfect condition. I rode home as fast as I could and immediately starting making a lemon pie.

True to her calling, this mixer brought forth timeless and mouthwatering meringue. It was with grace that her three steel blades caressed those warm egg whites into fascinating clouds of meringue. I took the volumes of white airy meringue and piled it high on my lemon filling. When those suspended clouds met the flaky edge of the pie crust, I knew this pie was destined for rave reviews at the Repnow supper table. At last, my cooking skills were taking flight!

I placed my triumph proudly on the kitchen counter and sheltered it under a large glass dome. For several moments, I just stared at my prize pie. Upon arriving home, my parents were in wonder and shock as I showed them my new mixer. I had approached my Dad, the electrician, several weeks earlier when I wanted him to "soup up" our hand mixer. My requests were not granted as I am sure he was thinking of my safety. He quickly informed me that this magic twirling machine could easily remove one of my fingers if I were not careful. It wasn't long, however, before he realized I could be trusted. From that moment on, mighty meringues were whirling out of that kitchen.

Choice ingredients

I generally use large or extra-large eggs in all my recipes. But I always use extra-large eggs when doing meringues. When I was in Europe several years ago, I noticed the cooks there do not refrigerate their eggs. Their eggs are always at room temperature. When they were beaten, fluffy clouds of spectacular volume appeared in mixing bowl ... a thrilling sight.

The first thing I do when making meringue is to boil a kettle of water. Second, my mixing bowl, beaters and other utensils that will be used are scalded. The reason for this is that you want all items used to be free of grease or oil. The third step is to separate the eggs -- remember they are at room temperature.

When separating eggs, make sure the whites contain not a speck of yolk. I place the egg whites in the scalded bowl and very slowly start to whip them. First the egg whites will be foamy and frothy. Don't add sugar at this early point -- this is important. Next, the egg whites begin to look like dollops of whipped cream. This is when to start adding sugar, and in small amounts.

Some cooks like to add cream of tarter. If that is your desire, I would add it at this stage. Many times I grind white sugar in a coffee grinder for a finer texture. I now start adding this sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue beating until the meringue forms a slight gloss and begins to hold peaks. At this moment, you could be tempted to ski down these beautiful mounds!

The meringue is now ready to be placed on your pie. Meanwhile, the prepared pie I have covered with foil to keep it warm. The meringue sets and seals best on a warm filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the baked meringue away from drafts to prevent deflating.

Now for your assignment for this week ...

Pretty Pineapple Meringue

4 tablespoons sugar

3-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 8-ounce can unsweetened chopped pineapple, undrained or 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple including juice

4 eggs, at room temperature, separated

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon lemon peel

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

1. Make your favorite crust or use the one I supplied last week. Just a note -- the pie crust recipe from last week will make several depending on the size of your pans. This pie crust freezes very well. Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Ease gently into a 9-inch pie pan. I like to use glass pie plates. Trim the overhang to 1 inch and flute the edges as desired. Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Slowly add the milk and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 7 minutes.

4. Stir in the pineapple. Beat the egg yolks until light (reserve the whites for the meringue)

5. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and blend. Add the yolks to the saucepan and blend. Add the lemon extract and peel. Cook, stirring with full attention until the mixture thickens to a pudding texture.

6. Pour the filling into the crust. Spread the meringue over the warm filling and seal the edges.

7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned. Keep a close eye on the meringue as it can burn easily.

For the meringue, following directions above, you'll need 4 extra-large egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter. For extra delight you may add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the meringue as well.